View full sizeCasey Parks/The OregonianPeople who had been illegally occupying Gloria Canson's home on North Mississippi moved out of the house Friday after police served them with a warrant.

Gloria Canson had lived in the two-story, white house on North Mississippi nearly half her life when the letter came. Your house is in foreclosure, she says it read. You're being evicted.

Canson knew she was behind on payments. After a stint in the hospital left her with high medical bills, she owed $7,000 on her mortgage. She tried calling a number listed in the letter, she said, but no one returned her calls.

The 66-year-old school teacher didn't want to wait to be thrown out, so in August she packed up and left the home where she had raised two daughters.

A few weeks later, members of Occupy Portland moved in.

Nearly a dozen people have lived -- rent free -- in the four-bedroom home since September. But property records show Canson still owns the house.

Friday morning, as Portland police ushered the squatters out, Canson met the people who left her home trashed. The occupiers say they were protesting Bank of America, which they thought owned the house. The bank -- not them -- ruined Canson's home.

"Don't take advantage of the people you're supposed to be helping," Canson, cool and collected, told them. "And don't hide behind the premise that it is ethically and morally wrong for the banks to throw you out. Because what you're doing is equally as reprehensible."

In fact, Canson's loan was with Bank of New York. County records clerks say they sent Canson default notices -- not an eviction notice -- in September and January. And records show Recontrust Co., a foreclosure-servicing subsidiary of Bank of America, planned a foreclosure sale in January.

View full sizeCasey Parks/The OregonianSquatters at Gloria Canson's home left behind a bike, posters and sleeping bags. As Canson walked through the house she'd lived in for 30 years, she was distraught. "How can anybody do this?" she said.

Instead, Bank of New York sold her loan.

Bank of America officials said they did talk to Canson last August about her account, but they never sent her an eviction notice.

"Property owners should be aware that an eviction notice is not sent unless a foreclosure has been completed first," the bank said in a statement. "If a homeowner receives a suspicious notice, we suggest calling the customer service number on the monthly statement to find out if it is real."

At that time, Canson learned she still owned the home and decided to put it up for sale.

She went home in March but found the squatters living there. The occupy protestors even had started receiving mail. They signed up for the Internet. Bryan Wiedeman put the water bill in his name. A bill left in the house indicated he owes $530. Wiedeman was arrested at Canson's home last month on charges of vandalizing ATMs and banks, part of Occupy Portland actions.

Canson hired RE/MAX Realtor Gary Horton. In 10 years of real estate sales, he said he's never had to evict squatters. He contacted Portland police, who served a warrant Thursday and told the people they had to leave.

Friday morning, Canson and neighbors speculated that the squatters might have sent the eviction notice. They had, after all, changed the locks and told her they were legally renting her home, she said. Police said they found anarchist materials inside, including the addresses of vacant homes as well as information on how to pick locks. And some of the squatters were repeat offenders. After police arrested Kerry Cunneen in February for squatting in a home in the 4900 block of North Minnesota Avenue, she moved to Canson's home.

"We didn't send you the letter," a protestor wearing a bandana over his face told Canson. "We have no reason to do that. We have no interest in removing people from anybody's homes. We have a lot of problems with people being removed from their homes."

A female squatter added, "I'm really sorry that you lost your home. Nobody was trying to steal your house from you, other than the bank."

Canson lives in a northeast townhouse now. Though the North Mississippi house holds many memories, she said she won't come back.

"After looking in this house, I don't want to be in this house," she said Friday before driving to Seattle to celebrate her birthday.

That left Horton outside, watching as the squatters loaded their stuff into a white van. The house still held a bike, an iPod and bills. But as the man wearing the bandana drove away, he waved to Horton.